The present invention relates to wireless paging systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for sending a paging message to a subscriber""s paging device using a telephone number of a telephone associated with the subscriber.
Paging systems are well known and widespread. Currently, when a subscriber subscribes to a paging service, the subscriber is assigned a personal identification number (PIN). The PIN number is used by people sending paging messages to identify the subscriber to whom the message is to be sent.
For example, a typical paging scenario would be as follows. A caller dials a subscriber""s office telephone number: 987-654-3210 and is connected to the subscriber""s voicemail because the subscriber is out of the office. The voicemail will typically contain a message such as:
I am currently unavailable to take your call. You may page me by dialing 1-800-123-4567 and then entering my PIN number 3947329.1 
1 The use of telephone numbers and PIN numbers herein is for example purposes only and not intended to represent actual telephone numbers or PIN numbers. 
The caller then dials the paging system telephone number (1-800-123-4567), enters the subscriber""s PIN (3947329) and then enters the message to be sent. The message is typically a numeric message entered using the keys of the callers telephone thus sending DTMF tones to the paging system. Thus, in the typical example, after calling the subscriber""s office telephone number and being connected to voice mail, the caller must then remember both the paging system telephone number and the subscriber""s PIN number. Often, while listening to a subscriber""s voice mail greeting, a caller will write down the paging system telephone number and the PIN number. However, if the subscriber speaks quickly during the voice mail greeting, the caller may miss the PIN number or record it incorrectly. The caller is then forced to place another call to the subscriber""s office telephone for the sole purpose of obtaining the correct PIN number.
In accordance with the invention, a subscriber""s telephone number is used as the subscriber""s pager PIN number in a paging system. As a result, a caller to the subscriber""s telephone number who reaches the subscriber""s voice mail can page the subscriber by only recording the telephone number of the paging system, because the caller already knows the subscriber""s telephone number. This simplifies the paging of a subscriber after a caller reaches the subscriber""s voice mail.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, upon receipt of the subscriber""s telephone number as the PIN number, the paging terminal will access a database to determine the address of the subscriber""s pager. The paging terminal will use this retrieved address to send the paging message.
In accordance with an alternate embodiment, the subscriber""s telephone number could be the actual address of the subscriber""s pager. In this embodiment, upon receipt of the subscribers telephone number as the PIN number, the paging terminal will use that telephone number as the address to send the paging message.
These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.